Union Minister for Forests, Environment, and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav has urged everyone to pledge their proactive support towards transforming India into an ecologically empowered nation by 2047.
Addressing a day-long workshop on the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought at the Arid Forest Research Institute (AFRI) here on Tuesday, Yadav said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a goal to make India an economic power in the world; however, this goal should be accomplished with an additional target of ecological empowerment”.
This is because addressing ecological issues, such as desertification, is necessary for accomplishing goals and targets in the economic arena, the Minister observed.
Elaborating on his point, he said desertification, as we know, is not only an ecological problem but a direct threat to food security, public health, and economic stability.
The Minister said that PM Modi had already shown the path to the world nearly three years ago by launching Mission LiFE, followed by the crusade “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” in June last year, which witnessed the planting of 140 crore trees across the country within 12 months.
Besides, the National Action Plan for Combating Desertification has also been rolled out. Under the initiative, over 30 crore Soil Health Cards have been generated, enabling farmers to make informed decisions regarding fertilisers.
“The government has also rolled out the iconic Aravalli Green Wall initiative to combat desertification”, Yadav said, adding that everyone should contribute to the campaign propounded by the Prime Minister by planting and nurturing trees in their respective villages—especially in barren patches and along the deforested stretches of the Arawali range, which extends 700 km across 29 districts in the states of Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Gujarat.
The participation of all in this campaign will help establish “Matri Van” (Mother’s Forest) along the deforested stretches of the Arawali Green Wall, as well as in every village across the country.
He said that local MLAs and other elected people’s representatives should be involved in the process.
He also advised forest officials to develop ideal nurseries in every village for cultivating and preserving saplings of local plants and trees.
Yadav also asked district forest officers to develop desert biodiversity parks in their respective areas to preserve local flora and fauna.
Union Minister for Tourism, Art and Culture, and local MP Gajendra Singh Shekhawat also spoke on the occasion.